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Home  »  The Standard Book of Jewish Verse  »  Song of Israel to God

Joseph Friedlander, comp. The Standard Book of Jewish Verse. 1917.

By Judah Ha-Levi (Trans. Alice Lucas)

Song of Israel to God

MY Love! hast Thou forgotten

Thy rest

Upon my breast?

And wherefore hast Thou sold me

To be enslaved for aye?

Have I not followed Thee upon the way

Of olden time within a land not sown?

Lo! Seir and Mount Paran—nor these alone

Sinai and Sin—yea, these

Be all my witnesses.

For Thee my love was ever,

And mine

Thy grace divine;

And how hast Thou apportioned

My glory away from me?

Thrust unto Seir, pursued, sent forth to flee

Unto Kedar, nor suffered to abide;

Within the Grecian fiery furnace tried;

Afflicted, weighed with care,

With Media’s yoke to bear;—

And is there any to redeem but Thee?

Or other captive with such hope above?

Thy strength, O Lord; grant of Thy strength to me!

For I give Thee my love.